Living to Please God pt 1 -
Who Has the Right to Tell You What To Do?
1 Thessalonians 4:1-2
Introduction
“You can’t tell me what to do!”
Have you ever said or thought that? I have!
Most people are very sensitive about who has the right to order them about. Just recently an adult told Tim to do something, to which he replied: “You’re not my dad!”
In Tim’s mind, I have the right to tell him what to do, even though he doesn’t always like it when that happens. On this occasion, he didn’t feel that other person had the same right. I remember feeling resentment as a teenager at times when some adults felt they could order me about
Who has the right to tell you what to do?
For many people, once they leave home or even beforehand, the answer is “No-one”!
Many of us will allow some people to boss us around to a certain degree. The boss at work has the right to tell us what to do as long as he or she does it in the right way. A spouse can get away with it sometimes. Even our kids can get away with it sometimes.
But if you were to ask “Who has the right to tell you what to do at any time and any place for any reason?” The answer would nearly always be “Nobody”.
Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2
Paul says to the Thessalonian Christians “We instructed you how to live”. That’s more than saying “We taught you about Jesus” or “We gave you spiritual advice about how you should live”. Paul says “We told you what you should be doing. We instructed you how to live. We did this by the authority of Jesus Christ.”
Paul not only expects that they are following those instructions – he has heard that they are – but he even urges them to keep doing it more and more.
Just these 2 verses bring up some important questions for us:
- Does Jesus have the right to tell us what to do?
- Who is delegated the authority to speak on Jesus’ behalf?
- How good is good enough?
Let’s start with number one:
1) Does Jesus have the right to tell us what to do?
Do you want the short answer or the long one?
The short answer is “Yes, He does!”
The long answer spells out the reasons that He has that right. Let me sum up just some of those reasons as they are found in Colossians 1:15-20:
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
A) Because He Is Who He Is
Jesus is God, we are not. The very nature of existence is that God has the right to be God. Jesus is the image of the invisible God. He is God and we are not, that is the order of things.
B) Because He Made Us
Jesus created all things and all things were created for Him. He owns us! However, humanity was given the opportunity to reject His rule, and we did. Does He still own us?
C) Because He Holds the Universe Together
Without Jesus, there would be no universe. In Him all things hold together (v.18)
D) Because He Bought Us with His Blood
The death of Jesus was the price needed to reconcile us to God, and His resurrection demonstrates the power of God to bring that reconciliation into effect.
OK, so if Jesus has the right to tell us what to do, how does that authority actually get used? Who or what has the right to speak on Jesus’ behalf?
2) Who is delegated the authority to speak on Jesus’ behalf?
A) The Holy Spirit has the right to speak to us on Jesus’ behalf
John 14:23-25
23Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
B) The Bible has the right to speak to us on Jesus’ behalf
2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
C) The Church has the right to speak to us on Jesus’ behalf
This is evident because it is what is happening in our passage in 1 Thessalonians. Paul relates how he, as a member of the Church, has been entrusted with the authority to pass on the instructions of Jesus. We can read through the book of Acts for many more examples, as well as through all of the letters from Paul, Peter, John, James and Jude to see that this is what is happening. Paul said to Titus in Titus
Leaders
Hebrews 13:17
Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Everyone
Colossians 3:16a
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom
Different types of churches tend to emphasise one direction or the other – hierarchy or equality. The fact is that both are true and both are needed.
CAUTION – PROCEED WITH CARE!
Remember that Jesus reserved His harshest criticisms for those who presumed to speak for God, but in fact were out of touch with Him.
There have been countless examples in churches, communities and families where those who have claimed to speak for God have actually been way out of line. There has been abuse caused by wrong teachings, by disregarding right teachings or by legalistically applying teachings.
Ephesians
“ Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.”
If we are to claim to speak on behalf of Jesus, we must first of all speak the truth. That is, what we say must line up with Jesus’ words and actions. We have been given the Bible to help us measure what we or anybody else says in order to check whether it is the truth or not.
Secondly, we must speak in love. If our motive is not love, we have no right to speak. Only truth delivered in love can build others up.
Let me give you an example of how this works. As a parent, I have the responsibility of disciplining my children. I can discipline in anger, or discipline in love. Often the punishments I may apply will not change, but the manner in which I apply them will be different.
I have noticed that punishing in anger tends to produce fear in my children. This may help them stop the offending behaviour, but it does nothing for our relationship. In fact, I have noticed that there is commonly resentment that follows, which then gives me something more to discipline.
On the contrary, when I first deal with my anger and discipline my children in love, I have noticed that not only is the discipline still effective in changing behaviour, but it is also effective in keeping our relationship strong. Tim has often spontaneously apologised to me or gone and apologised to Carolyn and sought to make things right. Angry discipline tends to produce more rebellion, loving discipline tends to produce repentance.
That is the sort of effect we are supposed to have on one another. Instead of causing resentment through what we say, we should be producing repentance and good deeds. We should be encouraging one another and spurring each other on.
But whether it is discipline or direction, people can still reject even the most loving attempts to provide any sort of guidance or correction. It seems that adults find this a lot harder than children, no matter how it is applied.
The result is an environment where often people are too afraid to address issues with one another. We might feel concerned for a Christian brother or sister and the choices they are making, but we never go as far as actually talking to them about it. Instead, we talk to others in the hope that someone else will do it!
Being free to share and receive the truth in love is something that we all need to work on.
1 Peter 5:5 says:
All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”
This means that we shouldn’t be too quick to speak, but we should be quick to really listen.
Conclusion
We discover in these few verses that Paul wasn’t an academic sort of teacher. He wasn’t just interested in imparting knowledge. He was interesting in imparting faith which produced changed lives.
He didn’t just instruct people in what to think. He told them what they must do.
Many of us are happy to hear teaching. Many of us will even listen to examples of how that teaching might be applied. Some people will accept being told what they must do. Not many people will tolerate being checked up on to see if they are actually doing it. We seem to have an idea that that is just between us and God. It’s not. It never has been.
If we really care about each other, we will take notice of each other’s lives. We will seek to meet each other’s needs. We will be available to speak the truth to one another in love, seeking to draw each other ever closer into relationship with Jesus Christ. As God’s Word dwells in us richly we will be qualified to teach and admonish each other with all wisdom. As we are clothed with the humility of Jesus, we will receive the truth and let it bear fruit in our lives.
That’s how it works in the Church.
Is that how it works for you?
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